30 January 2014

At the top of the No. 1 Line track this afternoon, several of these beautiful crane flies were bumbling about in the grasses near the seat. I'd given up on the idea of trying to photograph them because they refused to settle, but I'd no sooner resumed my scribbling and sipping tea than this one finally latched onto a grass stem.

28 January 2014

Today I walked up the Tunupo track as far as the DOC sign at about 1400 m. On the way up I stopped for a snack but quickly picked up the camera again when several of these delightful little birds (New Zealand's smallest) appeared. They're extremely frustrating to try to photograph, because they're seldom still for more than a second and they're usually gleaning invertebrates among a tangle of branches.

26 January 2014

Desperate for some decent exercise and some mental respite from marking assignments, I left home early this morning and climbed the No. 1 Line track on a mild nor'westerly day. The seat at the top is relatively sheltered from nor'west winds, at least until they gather the strength for which they're notorious, and I sat there under the mostly overcast sky, scribbling in the moleskine, drinking Lapsang Souchong tea, occasionally scanning the distant clearings for deer (I saw none), and keeping half an eye out for insects. Halfway through writing a sentence, I glanced down and saw a beautiful pit weevil keeping me company, sitting on the seat right next to me.

Partway through a series of photographs, I saw the weevil's elytra (wing cases) open. I didn't hesitate; I pressed the shutter release, and when I took my eye from the viewfinder I saw the the weevil on its back, waving its legs, trying to fold its wings away. I wasn't impressed with its ability to fly — managing only a couple of centimetres and ending up upside down didn't seem like a great survival skill.

I don't know which species this is, but in 2010 an individual of Psepholax coronatus arrived on one of my windows. While the pattern of teeth on the elytra differs greatly, apparently the males and females of Psepholax differ, so this one might also be P. coronatus.

Fortunately, it quickly righted itself. I hope the rest of its day was more successful than its flight.

22 January 2014

Eyebright (Euphrasia sp. — this is probably E. cuneata) grows in profusion along the track from Leon Kinvig hut to the crest of the Ngamoko range, as well as along similar tracks (e.g. Knights track on the western side of the Ngamoko). The little flowers look delicate but can clearly withstand wild conditions like these, on the day I climbed from Kinvig out over the range and down Knights track to the car.

19 January 2014

On a fine day at this time of year, a walk up the No. 1 Line track will almost certainly result in meeting one of these delightful little butterflies. Apparently, the New Zealand coppers (Lycaena spp.) are being revised, so I won't attempt to name this one.

17 January 2014

Caterpillars of a number of large moth species in the genus Wiseana are commonly called 'porina'. They're important pests of New Zealand pasture, but farmers aren't without a few natural allies. This is one: a big tachinid fly in the genus Protohystricia. Its larvae parastise porina caterpillars, but to the best of my knowledge, no one knows how they affect porina populations. My guess — and I stress it's a guess — is that parasitism by these flies has no discernible impact. Still, if you live in New Zealand and see one of these — don't swat it!

13 January 2014

During the last week or so I've noticed two juvenile korimako (bellbird, Anthornis melanura) frequenting the harakeke (New Zealand flax) and other shrubs and trees along the driveway. This morning I made a point of taking the camera with me when I walked to the letterbox and, sure enough, the two youngsters and an adult appeared. This was the best of the photographs. The yellow on the forehead is pollen from the harakeke; the yellow at the base of the bill is an unequivocal indicator that this little bird isn't long out of the nest.

09 January 2014

I have several assemblages (I hesitate to call them colonies) of these peculiar spiders living in the harakeke along the driveway. Groups of Cyclosa trilobata spin their webs close together — very un-spider-like behaviour, given the tendency of most spiders to consider others of their species as either a potential mate or a meal. This female spinning her web (probably replacing it after heavy rain a short time earlier) lives in the largest of the groups I've noticed; estimating the number of spiders isn't easy but this comprises at least 14 and maybe 20 or more spiders.

The russet-and-yellow protuberance near the end of her abdomen is matched by another on the other side, and, with the 'tail', gives rise to the 'trilobata' ('three lobes') part of the name. When she finished spinning she settled down in the middle of the web with her legs drawn up close to her body so she looked less like a spider and more like a piece of debris. The effect is enhanced by bundles of mashed-up corpses of prey attached to the axis of the web. For us, it's easy to work out which is the spider — the one in the middle — but for potential predators (birds, I guess), those ragged lumps might be confusing.

What's the reason for this semi-communal lifestyle? Getting to the spider in the middle of the confusion of webs might be difficult, so perhaps it's a defence mechanism? Perhaps that massive collection of webs increases the likelihood that passing prey will be snared? Perhaps it means a mate is never far away?

Whatever the reason, I know for sure they don't do it to fascinate me — yet that's the one thing I find myself NOT questioning.

04 January 2014

The weather might have been glorious for most of New Year's Day, but later in the evening it deteriorated. Heavy rain set in, and although it stopped just on dark, the tops remained clagged in throughout the following day. I climbed into this kind of weather on the way out, and for the last half hour as I approached the crest of the Ngamoko Range (an offshoot of the Ruahine Range, but actually much higher than the main range), I had to work hard to stay upright. I know the track well, though, and was well equipped, and that kind of challenge can be exhilarating.

This photograph looks down the track, back towards the headwaters of the Pohangina. Somewhere a long way below lies Leon Kinvig hut.

02 January 2014

Happy New Year. The greeting's late because I only returned from the Ruahine this afternoon, and Toka Biv doesn't have Internet access. You can probably work out why from this photograph of the bivvy shortly before 6 a.m. on New Year's day. I walked in late on New Year's Eve, spent the night in this little box and was treated to this sunrise on New Year's Day.

Later in the morning I returned to the summit of the Ngamoko Range then headed down to Leon Kinvig hut. Heavy rain began in the evening, but eased overnight, and today I climbed back up the track, battled my way through the cloud and gale, and made my way back down Knights track to the car.

I trust you all had as wonderful a time as I did celebrating the New Year, and I hope 2014 delivers to you the kind of delight this short journey delivered to me. Thank you all for visiting these Ruins.